The main emphasis of most Alcohol Information Nights is to provide information in an accessible way, to encourage parents and students to discuss alcohol issues together and to suggest strategies for preventing alcohol-related harm.

Students can learn how to respond to situations such as whether to have a drink, going home with someone who is drunk, or looking after a drunk friend. Through exploring hypothetical scenarios, they can practice their responses without the consequences which occur in real life.

The aims of Alcohol Information Nights vary from school to school, but in general they focus on educating students to increase their competence to avoid harms associated with alcohol. In particular, the nights focus on the role of parents in helping students avoid alcohol-related harms and emphasise learning strategies which simulate real life, acknowledging that choices about alcohol use are complex and that a young person can be faced with difficult and competing viewpoints.

Expected outcomes of ‘Alcohol Information Nights’ include:

• increased knowledge about the harms associated with alcohol use among the target audience
• increased confidence among parents in discussing alcohol issues with their children
• increased understanding among parents of the factors that influence children’s alcohol use
• increased knowledge among adolescents, parents and the school community about the role of GPs in treatment and referral services for alcohol and related problems
• increased commitment among parents to reducing the risks associated with alcohol use among their children
• a reduction in the short-term problems associated with alcohol misuse among young people
• a reduction in the longer-term problems associated with alcohol misuse among young people